I am Neapolitan by origin, yet for a long time Naples remained more of an inherited presence than a lived place. A city absorbed through stories, gestures, and temperament rather than daily experience. During my most recent journey, I finally allowed myself to slow down and truly immerse myself in the city’s atmosphere, exploring Neapolitan culture through its streets, rituals, and popular traditions.
Naples revealed itself to me through its folkloric and popular culture, rich in symbols, sacred rituals, devotion, irony, and mystery. It is a place where the sacred and the profane coexist naturally, and where life, death, and spirituality are woven together without separation. From this immersion, an illustration emerged — not as a realistic depiction of the city, but as a dreamlike, symbolic narrative.
At the center of the illustration is a prayer whispered to the “skull with ears”, a unique devotional symbol found in the Chapel of Santa Luciella in Naples. This skull reflects a deeply rooted aspect of Neapolitan spirituality and popular religion, where prayer becomes an intimate dialogue rather than a formal act.
The prayer is offered by Parthenope, the mythological figure linked to the origins of Naples, who appears wearing a Pulcinella mask. Pulcinella, an iconic character of Neapolitan folklore, embodies irony, resilience, and the ability to face life’s contradictions with humor. Through this mask, the illustration speaks of a distinctly Neapolitan wisdom: embracing fate, hardship, and uncertainty, while choosing irony as a form of survival and insight.
Rendered with vivid colors and layered symbolism, this illustration reflects my personal encounter with Naples — a city I did not grow up in, yet one that lives deeply within me. It is a visual prayer, an act of listening, and a tribute to Neapolitan popular culture, where devotion and laughter, tragedy and play, death and life coexist in a fragile but powerful balance.
Parthenope whispering is available on fine art printing (only 10 copies).
If you would like to purchase it please free to send me an email for details or staying updated. I’m currently building an online shop.
diclementesonia@gmail.com